Morton, Richard

, an eminent physician, was born
in the county of Suffolk; and became a commoner in
Magdalen-hall, Oxford, afterwards one of the chaplains of
New college, and M. A. On leaving the university, where
he took orders, he was for some time chaplain in the family
of Foley, in Worcestershire. Having, however, adopted
the principles of the nonconformists, he found it necessary,
after tue restoration of Charles II. to abandon the profession of theology, and adopted that of medicine. He accordingly was admitted to the degree of doctor in this faculty in 1670, having in that year accompanied the prince
of Orange to Oxford, as physician to his person. He afterwards settled in London, became a fellow of the college of
physicians, and obtained a large share of city practice.
He died at his house in Surrey, in 1698. The works of
Dr. Morton had a considerable, reputation, but they lean
too much to the humoral pathology, which was prevalent
in that age; and his method of treatment in acute diseases,
is now generally discarded. His first publication was entitled “Phthisioiogia, seu Exercitationes de Phthisi,” 1689,
8vo, and was translated into English in 1694. In this attempt to arrange the varieties of consumption, the distinctions, both in the classification and the indications of cure,
are complicated and obscure. His “Pyretologia, seu Exercitationes de Morbis universalibus acutis,” published in
1691—1694, 2 vols. 8vo, of which some account is given
in the Philos. Transactions, No. 199, contains his humoral
doctrines of fermentation and the agitations of the animal
spirits; and his practice was an unusual extension of the
cordial and stimulant treatment of all fevers, and a more
general introduction of the Peruvian bark, by which he
probably contributed to prolong the reign of that prejudicial system. His works have been printed collectively at
Amsterdam, 2 vols. 8vo, and at Geneva, Leyden, Venice,
and Lyons, in 4to. 2

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